Writer: John Steinbeck Director: Guy Unsworth Reviewer: Karl O'Doherty Steinbeck’s depression-era-defining work comes in for a lot of criticism - being banned in some places for its content. However, there’s a good reason it’s named among one of the great American stories - the characters, environments and attitudes depicted are perfectly illustrative of a time and place that shaped the ...

Writer: Francis Turnly Director: Indhu Rubasingham Reviewer: Maryam Philpott Any culture touched by war in the twentieth-century will have stories about the missing, not just those lost on battlefields or air attacks on civilian areas, but people abducted, removed or “disappeared” without a trace. For the families left behind, finding out what really happened to their loved ones dominates the rest ...

Reviewer: Matt Forrest It’s rather fortunate that we have Canadian comic Craig Campbell on hand this evening: he adds a spot of perspective on the supposed second coming of ‘the beast from the east’, and that the inclement weather we’re experiencing is nothing compared to the weather they get in over in his native land. This provides Campbell with the ...

Reviewer: Donna Kelly With over 60 singles and 26 albums to their name, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of The Hollies. Best known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style, The Hollies were one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 70s, with major hits on both sides of the Atlantic. Formed in 1962 ...

Reviewer: Dave Cunningham Frank Sinatra used to open his gigs by gazing at the audience and wondering aloud what all those people were doing in his room. One half-wonders if Phill Jupitus is taking the line literally. As the audience enters The Lowry, 20 minutes before the curtain goes up, Jupitus is already on stage with his back to them listening to records. ...

Writer: Anton Chekhov Adapted by and Director: Phil Willmott Reviewer: Maryam Philpott As international political relations with Russia crumble under the weight of fake news, accusations of democratic tampering and nerve-agent poisoning, and as our tentative spring is once again interrupted by Siberia-like snows, the Union Theatre’s revival of The Cherry Orchard is a reminder of some of Russia’s more ...

Libretto: Giuseppe Giacosa & Luigi Illica Music: Giacomo Puccini Director: Ellen Kent Reviewer: Ray Taylor At its first performance in Milan in 1904, Madama Butterfly was a fiasco with the audience laughing and hissing. Now it is firmly established on the operatic repertoire and is loved by millions the world over for its wonderful heartfelt melodies and its tragic romantic ...

Reviewer: Jay Nutall It’s a tough ask to announce yourself as the “Genius Simon Evans” prior to walking onstage. Immediately acknowledging this dilemma it feels like we will be in the safe hands of a comedian wishing to deconstruct intelligence and aptitude - nothing particularly original as David Gorman currently has a television series of the same name but one ...